Nikhil Daljeet
These Leafs will not go quietly. After another hard fought, fast-paced game with excellent goaltending, Toronto eked out a 2-1 win that has forced a seventh game tomorrow night back in Boston. With standout performances from Reimer, Gardiner, et al., the Maple Leafs secured their first win on home ice of this postseason. Hopefully, it won't be their last.
With their backs against the wall, the Maple Leafs will look to force a seventh game by winning at home for the first time this postseason.
Toronto will undoubtedly play with the desperation they showed for most of Friday night. The difference tonight will be that the Bruins are also starting to feel the pressure. Boston will be throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the Leafs and James Reimer in an effort to close out this series. With the continuing struggles of Seguin and Marchand, the offensive load will likely be carried by the Krejci line.
At the other end of the ice, two feisty Leafs centers in Mikhail Grabovski and Nazem Kadri earnestly want to make a contribution of their own to their team's success. With the way Grabovski has elevated his game in these playoffs, it should only be a matter of time before the Belorussian finds his name on the scoresheet. [more…]
Toronto put up a valiant effort in their first home playoff game in far too long. Despite finally outshooting their opponents, the Maple Leafs paid the price for a handful of individual, but egregious errors. The Bruins regained their home ice advantage with the victory, but the Leafs sustained offensive pressure and created numerous chances with nearly fifty shots on the night. In short - tonight's tilt was reminiscent in many ways of the positives from game two, with a scattering of costly turnovers that were the trademark of game one. [more…]
Toronto gave up five goals for the second consecutive game as John Tavares and the Islanders took tonight's tilt decisively. The Leafs built a two-goal lead on their first two shots of the game before paying their dues to the tune of five consecutive goals against on account of inattentive and sloppy play.
Dave Nonis and co. made a cheap, depth addition to their blueline today by adding Ryan O'Byrne. You would almost think the ghost of Brian Burke was behind this move as Toronto picked up a large, physical player whose impact is reflective of work ethic and toughness rather than innate hockey finesse. [more…]
Toronto overcame a slow start on the second night of a back-to-back set to close out the league-worst Florida Panthers at home. The game featured the return of Joffrey Lupul to the Kessel line, simultaneously heralding the revival of said line as contributing members of the team. [more…]
True to form, tonight's tilt in Buffalo was fast paced, exciting, and goal-heavy. Getting three points in a back-to-back situation is a respectable outcome, although an early two goal lead put the Leafs in a position to close out four points that they failed to capitalize on.
Toronto saw a hard fought one-goal lead disappear in the third period against Pittsburgh, as the Penguins Sidney Crosby staged a second consecutive third period comeback to steal the game in regulation. It's a tough loss to swallow after a thorough effort across the lineup kept the Penguins scoreless until the final eight minutes of the game. [more…]
It wasn't pretty, but the Maple Leafs took it to New Jersey 4-2 Monday night and moved up in the standings. Nazem Kadri continues to be Toronto's most dangerous attacker and James Reimer is on a personal five game win streak.
The Leafs refused to let another pair of Canadian brothers come into their barn and come out on top, taking it to the Flyers with a 5-2 win Monday night. A dominant performance that saw five different Toronto players score, it is a game that will bring the team's record at home slightly closer to the realm of respectability. However, it may have came at the cost of James Reimer, who left the game with an apparent lower body injury partway through the night. [more…]
A tilt between two of the league's youngest teams went pretty much as expected. Questionable special teams, fast-paced action, and a blown third period lead. Thankfully, the Maple Leafs were on the winning side of this one and climb to a game above .500 eleven games into the season. [more…]
The Toronto Maple Leafs did the previously unthinkable, walking into Buffalo and winning an exciting game in overtime. Tonight's match looked like it may follow the same unsavory fate that has plagued the Leafs at HSBC in recent years when Buffalo tied it up late. But a team devoid of two of their top wingers in Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur showed fortitude and grabbed a victory in the dying moments of overtime. [more…]
